Collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof

ABSTRACT

The present invention includes a railing and a plurality of collapsible stanchions having an upper end and a lower end. A hinge connected to each upper end for pivotally coupling with the railing. The lower end also has a hinge connected thereto for pivotally coupling with a roof of a vehicle. At least one of the hinges has a locking mechanism to preclude pivoting of the stanchions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a railing for mounting on a vehicleroof and more particularly pertains to providing a safety measure forpersons aboard a vehicle roof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of rooftop railings is known in the prior art. Morespecifically, rooftop railings heretofore devised and utilized for thepurpose of containing items on a vehicle roof are known to consistbasically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations,notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded priorart which have been developed for the fulfillment of countlessobjectives and requirements.

By way of example, the prior art discloses such rooftop railings in U.S.Pat. No. 4,036,520 to Zuidema; U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,590 to Young; U.S.Pat. No. 4,463,982 to Irelan; U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,316 to Roisen; andU.S. Pat. No. 4,979,725 to Huthings, II et al.

In this respect, the collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roofaccording to the present invention substantially departs from theconventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doingprovides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing asafety measure for persons aboard a vehicle roof.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need fora new and improved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roofwhich can be used for providing a safety measure for persons aboard avehicle roof. In this regard, the present invention substantiallyfulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types ofrooftop railings now present in the prior art, the present inventionprovides an improved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof.As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will bedescribed subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof apparatusand method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of thedisadvantages.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a generallyrectangular railing including a tubular rod with a linear rear section,arcuate front section, and a pair of linear side sections defining aninterior space. A plurality of collapsible stanchions have an upper endand a lower end. Each lower end comprises a base mounted to the roof ofthe vehicle and pivots allowing the stanchion to collapse. A pluralityof generally T-shaped sleeve joints have a horizontal upper sleevesecured about the railing and a lower sleeve pivotally coupled to theupper sleeve and secured about the upper end of the stanchions. A ladderaccess section comprises a portion of the railing adjacent to a laddercoupled to the vehicle. The ladder access section is hingably coupled ata first end to a sleeve joint and releasably coupled at a second end toa sleeve. The ladder access section further has an upright orientationfor allowing access to the interior space of the railing and a proneorientation for precluding access thereto. At least one of the pivotscomprises a locking hinge having a first orientation for allowing thestanchions and railing to swivel between an upright and collapsedposition and a second orientation for precluding swiveling thereof.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof which hasall the advantages of the prior art rooftop railings and none of thedisadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof which may beeasily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof which is ofa durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof which issusceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materialsand labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices ofsale to the consuming public, thereby making such collapsible railingseconomically available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a newand improved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof whichprovides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of theadvantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of thedisadvantages normally associated therewith.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a safetymeasure for persons aboard a vehicle roof.

Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved collapsible railing for mounting on a roof of a vehicleincluding a railing and a plurality of collapsible stanchions having anupper end and a lower end. Each upper end has a hinge connected theretofor pivotally coupling with the railing. The lower end also has a hingeconnected thereto for pivotally coupling with the roof of a vehicle. Atleast one of the hinges has a locking mechanism to preclude pivoting ofthe stanchions.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and the objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan illustration of the preferred embodiment of thecollapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roof constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan top view of the present invention constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the locking hinge encircled in FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the locking hingeencircled in FIG. 1 and taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the sleeve joint encircled in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of the ladder access section of thepresent invention as encircled in FIG. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts several views of thedrawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof,a new and improved collapsible railing for mounting on a vehicle roofembodying the principles and concepts of the present invention andgenerally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

The present invention, the new and improved collapsible railing formounting on a vehicle roof 11, is comprised of a plurality ofcomponents. Such components in their broadest context include a railing,collapsible stanchions, locking hinge, and ladder access section. Suchcomponents are individually configured and correlated with respect toeach other so as to attain the desired objective.

More specifically, it will be noted that system 10 of the presentinvention includes a generally rectangular railing 12. The railingincludes a tubular rod with a linear rear section 16, arcuate frontsection 18, and a pair of linear side sections 20 defining an interiorspace 22. The tubular rod is preferably formed of a durable metal suchas aluminum or stainless steel but can also be constructed of a rigidplastic material. The railing is sized to coincide with the periphery ofa vehicle roof.

Further included is a plurality of collapsible stanchions 24. Eachstanchion has an upper end 26 and a lower end 28. The lower end 28comprise a base 30 mounted to the vehicle roof 11 and a plurality ofpivots 32 allowing each stanchion to collapse. The length of thestanchion ranges between approximately 36 inches to 42 inches.

The pivots 32 consist of conventional hinges. For locking purposes, atleast one of the pivots comprises a locking hinge 34 having a circularfirst portion 36 with a plurality of teeth 38 formed in an exteriorperiphery thereof and a threaded aperture 40 centrally disposed therein.The first portion 36 is coupled to the base 30. A circular secondportion 42 has a plurality of teeth 44 formed in an interior peripherythereof and a threaded aperture 46 centrally disposed therein. Thesecond portion includes a sleeve 48 coupled thereto for securing aboutthe lower end 28 of the stanchion. Finally, a wing bolt 50 is includedfor inserting within the threaded apertures. The wing bolt has a firstdisengaged orientation for allowing the disengagement of the teeth andan inserted orientation for allowing the engagement thereof.

Also included is a plurality of generally T-shaped sleeve joints 52.Each sleeve joint has a horizontal upper sleeve 54 secured about therailing 12 and further a lower sleeve 56 pivotally coupled to the uppersleeve 54 and secured about the upper end 26 of the stanchion 24. Thesleeve joint employs a conventional hinge for pivotally coupling thelower sleeve to the upper sleeve.

For providing access to the interior space of the railing, furtherincluded is a ladder access section 58 comprising a portion 59 of therailing adjacent a ladder 60 coupled to the vehicle. The ladder accesssection 58 is hingably coupled at a first end to a sleeve joint 62 andreleasably coupled at a second end to a sleeve 64. The ladder accesssection has an upright orientation for allowing access to the interiorspace of the railing and a prone orientation for precluding accessthereto.

As an added safety feature, a safety switch is included comprising apair of contacts. The contacts include a first contact 66 situated onthe sleeve 48 a radial distance from the locking hinge 34. Furtherincluded is a second contact 68 situated on a top surface of a rodportion 70 extending horizontally a radial distance from the lockinghinge. The safety switch has a first closed orientation upon thecollapse of the railing whereby the contacts abut. A second openorientation is defined by the contacts being separated. The safetyswitch is adapted to actuate an alarm 72 situated within the vehiclewhen the vehicle is moving and the switch is in an open orientation thuspreventing a collision with a bridge or low clearance path of travel.

Operation and use of the collapsible railing is facilitated by theamalgamation of the foregoing components. To ensure securement of therailing to the roof of the vehicle, each base can either be bolted oradhered thereto with an adhesive. In use, the wing bolt may bedisengaged thereby allowing the railing to be swiveled into an uprightposition. Upon erection, the wing bolt may be inserted therebyprecluding the railing from collapsing. After use and during motion ofthe vehicle, the wing bolt may be disengaged thereby allowing therailing to be swiveled into a collapsed position. The wing bolt may thenbe inserted for precluding movement of the railing during travel.

The present invention provides a safety measure for persons or objectson a vehicle roof. The height of the railing is ideally tailored toprevent persons or objects from falling thus allowing the roof of theautomobile to be utilized as a patio or vantage point. To comply withheight restrictions of many highways, the instant invention employs acollapsing feature to be used when the vehicle is in motion.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, thesame should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, nofurther discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will beprovided.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

I claim:
 1. A new and improved collapsible railing comprising, incombination:a vehicle with a roof; a generally rectangular railingincluding a tubular rod with a linear rear section, an arcuate frontsection, and a pair of linear side sections defining an interior space;a plurality of collapsible stanchions, each of the stanchions having anupper end and a lower end, the lower end comprising a base mounted tothe roof of the vehicle and a pivotal means allowing each of thestanchions to collapse; a plurality of generally T-shaped sleeve joints,each of the sleeve joints having a horizontal upper sleeve secured aboutthe railing and a lower sleeve pivotally coupled to the upper sleeve andsecured about the upper end of the corresponding stanchion; and a ladderaccess section comprising a portion of the railing adjacent to a laddercoupled to the vehicle, the ladder access section hingably coupled at afirst end to a sleeve joint and releasably coupled at a second end to asleeve, the ladder access section further having an upright orientationfor allowing access to the interior space of the railing and a proneorientation for precluding access thereto; wherein at least one of thepivotal means comprises a locking hinge having a circular first portionwith a plurality of teeth formed in an exterior periphery thereof and athreaded aperture centrally disposed therein, the first portion coupledto the base of the stanchion; a circular second portion with a pluralityof teeth formed in an interior periphery thereof and a threaded aperturecentrally disposed therein, the second portion having a sleeve coupledthereto for securing about the lower end of the stanchion; and a wingbolt for inserting within the threaded apertures and having a firstdisengaged orientation for allowing disengagement of the teeth therebyallowing the stanchions and railing to swivel between an upright andcollapsed position, the wing bolt further having an inserted orientationfor allowing engagement of the teeth thereby precluding the stanchionsand railing from swiveling between the upright and collapsed position.2. A collapsible railing comprising, in combinationa vehicle with aroof; a railing; a plurality of collapsible stanchions having an upperend and a lower end, the upper end having a pivotal coupling meansconnected thereto for pivotally coupling with the railing, the lower endhaving a pivotal coupling means connected thereto for pivotally couplingwith a roof of a vehicle, wherein at least one of the pivotal couplingmeans comprises a locking hinge having a circular first portion with aplurality of teeth formed in an exterior periphery thereof and athreaded aperture centrally disposed therein, the first portion coupledto the base of the stanchion; a circular second portion with a pluralityof teeth formed in an interior periphery thereof and a threaded aperturecentrally disposed therein, the second portion having a sleeve coupledthereto for securing about the lower end of the stanchion; and a wingbolt for inserting within the threaded apertures and having a firstdisengaged orientation for allowing disengagement of the teeth therebyallowing the stanchions and railing to swivel between an upright andcollapsed position, the wing bolt further having an inserted orientationfor allowing engagement of the teeth thereby precluding the stanchionsand railing from swiveling between the upright and collapsed position; aladder access section comprising a portion of the railing adjacent tothe ladder coupled to the vehicle, the ladder access section hingablycoupled at a first end to a sleeve joint and releasably coupled at asecond end to a sleeve, the ladder access section further having anupright orientation for allowing access to the interior space of therailing and a prone orientation for precluding access thereto; and asafety switch including a first contact situated on the sleeve radialdistance from the locking hinge and a second contact situated on a topsurface of a rod portion extending horizontally a radial distance fromthe locking hinge, the contacts having a first closed orientation uponthe collapse of the railing wherein the contacts abut and further asecond open orientation whereby the safety switch is adapted to actuatean alarm when the vehicle is moving and the switch is in the openorientation.
 3. A new and improved collapsible railing for mounting on aroof of a vehicle comprising, in combination:a vehicle with a roof; agenerally rectangular railing including a tubular rod with a linear rearsection, an arcuate front section, and a pair of linear side sectionsdefining an interior space; a plurality of collapsible stanchions, eachof the stanchions having an upper end and a lower end, the lower endcomprising a base mounted to the roof of the vehicle and a pivotal meansallowing each of the stanchions to collapse; a plurality of generallyT-shaped sleeve joints, each of the sleeve joints having a horizontalupper sleeve secured about the railing and a lower sleeve pivotallycoupled to the upper sleeve and secured about the upper end of thecorresponding stanchion; and a ladder access section comprising aportion of the railing adjacent to a ladder coupled to the vehicle, theladder access section hingably coupled at a first end to a sleeve jointand releasably coupled at a second end to a sleeve, the ladder accesssection further having an upright orientation for allowing access to theinterior space of the railing and a prone orientation for precludingaccess thereto.